Equinox
by Deadlyflames
Summary: Hades and Persephone AU. Under the influence of Elsa's unrestrained emotions, winter rages upon the earth. To return the balance, Pitch returns Anna to the surface, despite her reluctance.


Anna winced as she emerged from the shadows, using her hand to shade her eyes from the sunshine. The sun's rays reflecting off the snow made the world almost painful to look upon. Winter began to recede as she took a lingering step forward, the mounds of snow melting under her presence. Delicate flowers peaked from the snow and bloomed in her footprints. She walked towards the cliffside, gazing out at the crashing waves and raging seas. Her sister's depression, that had manifested with Anna's disappearance, had brought about horrible blizzards and storms. Dark clouds still hung over the sea, slowly retreating to the horizon.

After spending so much time in the Underworld, the sun's radiance blinded her sensitive eyes. She remembered how desperate she had been to return to this world, to feel the softness of the grass under her bare feet and the sun kissing her shoulders. Now, even as she stood at the edge of the sapphire sea in a field of sprouting rose blossoms, she felt her chest ache in the absence of the the ancient underground palace she had grown accustomed to.

Anna had chosen to follow the Nightmare King into the darkness. It had been a choice to explore the unknown, to wander on the edge of danger that her protective older sister had always barred her from. The excitement of the rebellious action, being lead into the realm of a seductive and sinister spirit, had her blood humming beneath her skin. It had been a sobering moment when she came to realize she had no way of getting out once she had entered.

Pitch Black followed after her, the shadows clinging to his back. His presence seemed to dull the colours that surrounded him. The fresh emerald grass began to wither under the shadow of his looming form. Anna could remember her tireless attempts to find a flower that would flourish in the decay of the underworld. Once she discovered that the evening primrose would grow and live in the limited lighting, she began to place the yellow flowers all around the Underworld. She had even braided a few of the blossoms into Pitch's hair, in spite of his half hearted protests. The sweetness of that memory turned bitter in her mind under the current circumstances. The thought of the tender moment now corroded her core, making her feel hollow within.

Anna mentally cursed herself as the pain in her gut caused tears to well in her eyes. She quickly turned her face away, avoiding his gaze. She felt ridiculous for crying now that she was finally being released from her prison. She hated that she had grown so attached to her captor and dreaded the point when they would be separated.

"I imagine your sister will be here within moments," Pitch drawled, turning his sneer towards the ocean. "But I thought bringing you to such a secluded place would give us some time."

Anna didn't turn when Pitch addressed her. She didn't want to face him while hot tears were streaming down her cheeks. Trembling fingers reached up to wipe her eyes. "Time for what?"

"I believe I owe you an explanation for…" he paused, seeming to debate on his next few words. "Our interactions of the past few months."

Anna angled her head slightly, still not turning around to look at him. Her brow furrowed in confusion at his tone, how he had returned to the chilling and conniving voice that was used to frighten children. The vulnerability that she had witnessed in the Underworld had seemed to disappear.

"I don't want you to get it into your head that this was some life changing experience for me," he scoffed. He spoke as if returning her to the world above, when they might never see one another again, was a chore rather than a heartbreak. "It was amusing to keep you around for a while, I will admit. However, whatever mirth I gained from keeping you confined and plunging the world into an endless winter is not worth the constant badgering of Mother Nature and the Guardians."

"Stop it," Anna whispered, shaking her head and allowing more unbidden tears to falls. She wanted to slap him, she wanted to turn around and knock some sense into him. He would always do this. In Anna's time below the surface, she had grown accustomed to his moods. Pitch wanted companionship. He wanted empathy and caring, but he despised what he perceived as weakness. He would do anything to maintain the facade of control and power.

"I'm sorry for crushing your sweet little notions, but I-"

Anna turned, no longer caring if he saw her red watery eyes and hopeless expression. The sudden movement cut Pitch off from his condescending statement, and with one look at her tear-streaked face he was stricken speechless.

"Stop it," she hissed, hands clenched at her sides. She stormed over towards him, the glimmering train of her dress fluttering in the breeze. "Just stop it. I don't want you to pretend this meant nothing to you so it's easier. I don't want you to try and make me hate you."

Pitch seemed lost for words, moving towards Anna with slow and graceful steps. Complete uncertainty clouded his golden eyes as he tentatively reached out to cradle her face. Whatever attempt he had made to seem callous faded away with the wind.

"Anna," he whispered, brushing away the tears on her cheeks with the pad of his thumb.

She latched onto him then, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and pressing her cheek against his chest. To her relief, he didn't pull away. Pitch stood still for a moment before slowly coiling his long arms around her waist. He pressed his lips against her the top of her head. Anna melted into the touch, despite the chill of his skin. As he held her with such gentleness, Anna couldn't recall ever feeling so secure.

"I would rather you not feel anything for me, Anna," he whispered into her hair, and Anna only clung to him all the tighter. "It will be easier for the both of us."

"I don't care," she said between her tears, standing on her toes so she could burry her face into his shoulder. She felt herself fall apart in his arms, and she was no longer able to hold back the words that had been hanging on her lips. "I love you."

With those words, Pitch froze in his place. Anna could feel the tension in his shoulders beneath her arms. In a breath, he slipped away from from her arms, and the sudden emptiness nearly caused her to crumble to her knees.

He shook his head as he backed away from her, his jaw was clenched and his eyes were wide and full of intensity.

"I can't," Pitch muttered, more to himself than to her, and his voice was tight with anguish. Anna could see the tightness in his limbs had caused them to tremble. "I can't."

He continued to shake his head as he moved towards the darkness. Anna took a shaky step towards him, just as he melted into the lingering shadows of the storm clouds. Once his presence was lifted, the sky became brighter and the wind blew with more gusto. Anna couldn't move as her hair was swept to the side with the gale. The shock of suddenly being left on her own, with no true goodbyes exchanged between the two of them, left her paralyzed. It took several moments for a desperate sob to be wrenched from her throat, and her knees gave way from beneath her. As the storm clouds rolled to the to edge of the sea, the world was flooded with light and colour but Anna wished for darkness.

Xxx

At this point, neither have any garentee that they will see each other again. For the pitchanna sectet Santa for  misssassqueen17

Based on the Last Goodbye pitchanna art piece by SummerGirl16.


End file.
